Thick or thin film resistors (TFRs) are frequently used in hybrid and other electronic circuits. TFRs are constructed by applying a resistive ink over a substrate having gold electrical contacts and firing the resulting structure. Due to variations in the printing and firing process, TFRs are usually built with a resistance lower than the required value for the circuit. To bring the TFR into tolerance, the resistance is adjusted, usually by laser trimming. Areas of the resistor are vaporized by a laser beam or by other know methods until the resistance value of the resistor comes within specification.
It is possible, however, to over-trim the resistor, resulting in a resistance which is higher than the desired range of values specified for the design. It is desirable, therefore, to have a technique for reducing the resistance again so that further trimming may be attempted, again approaching the specified resistance. In the past, various techniques have been proposed to achieve resistance reduction. These methods have included electric discharge trimming and laser beam irradiation. There remains a need for a simple and effective method of reducing thick film resistance to permit retrimming during manufacture of electronic circuits.